GRENADE AND SHOOTER ARRANGED FOR KILLING MLA

GRENADE AND SHOOTER ARRANGED FOR KILLING MLA

9-AUG-ENG 13

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------A case involving an alleged plot to assassinate Rakesh Ranjan (alias Rakesh Ranjan Ojha), the BJP MLA from the Shahpur constituency in Bihar, has come to light. An anonymous letter was delivered by post to the MLA's residence in his ancestral village, Ojhwaliya. The letter outlined a plan to attack him using a hand grenade and a hired shooter.

According to the formal complaint lodged by the MLA with the police, he received this anonymous letter on July 8. The sender identified himself as Vikas Kumar, listing his address as Shahpur, Bhojpur. The letter claimed that a major conspiracy to assassinate the MLA was being hatched by certain accused individuals currently imprisoned in Bhagalpur Jail.

The anonymous letter allegedly leveled several serious allegations regarding the activities of inmates inside the jail and their meetings with outsiders. It claimed that plans were being made to procure a hand grenade and employ a shooter to execute the assassination.

Upon receiving the anonymous letter, the MLA immediately informed the police. He submitted a formal application to the Superintendent of Police, requesting an investigation into the matter and an enhancement of his security. Based on this application, the police initially registered a *Sanha* (general diary entry) on July 19.

Following a preliminary investigation, an FIR was registered at the Karnamepur police station on August 3. Based on the MLA's complaint, the accused named in the FIR include Rajiv Kumar Jha (Superintendent of the Bhagalpur Special Central Jail) and Lambu Sharma, Kuber Mishra, and Harish Mishra (accused in the Ara Court bomb blast case). Kanhaiya Kumar, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Karnamepur, confirmed the development, stating, "An FIR was lodged by MLA Rakesh Ojha against three individuals."

The gravity of the matter is heightened by the fact that the MLA's family has a history involving criminal incidents. In 2016, his father—former BJP state vice-president Visheshwar Ojha—was shot dead near Sonbarsa Market in Shahpur. Subsequently, on April 16, 2025, MLA Rakesh Ranjan Ojha himself was also targeted in a shooting incident. An FIR had previously been lodged at the Shahpur police station regarding an attack on the MLA. Now, following the emergence of a fresh anonymous letter, the police are connecting the dots between past incidents and current developments. Confirming the matter, Bhojpur SP Raj stated that a case involving a threat issued to the MLA via an anonymous letter has come to light. The police have registered a case and initiated an investigation across the area and into relevant leads.

"We are investigating the identity of the sender as well as the allegations made in the letter. Technical evidence, facts related to the jail, and the roles of named accused are being examined. The call records of the accused are also being scrutinized." – Raj, SP, Bhojpur.

The SP noted that, according to officials, the allegations made in the FIR are yet to be verified. Only based on evidence gathered during the investigation will it become clear whether an alleged murder plot was actually hatched or if the anonymous letter was merely an attempt to create an atmosphere of fear.